


Kakasaku

by phoenixburncold



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU slightly, F/M, Falling In Love, Love, Random - Freeform, dying, kakasaku - Freeform, lots of holes, they're either dying or loving, unconnected story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-21
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-10 09:46:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4387106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixburncold/pseuds/phoenixburncold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kakasaku Story...there will be missing bits, there will be randomness. Set in a time after Konaha was rebuilt, before the Great War.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I will be updating the tags as I go along - I wrote this a long time ago and recently found it again. Thought I might as well put it up here.

Kakashi entered his bedroom silently. Sighing, he unzipped his jōnin jacket in the dark room. The moon had not yet risen, but his right eye could still see well enough. One eye was more than enough to see better than most, Kakashi had found long ago. He dropped the jacket over the back of the chair. Taking off the pouch he wore around his waist, he placed it on the shelf under his window, within easy reach from the bed. The kunai sheaths around his legs were placed just beside the pouch, also within easy reach and on settled his gloves under them. He ran his fingers through his silver hair, sighing again. Kakashi sat on the bed and untied the forehead protector covering his closed, scarred eye – the eye that had been both a gift and curse to him ever since the day he had been given it. There was still a pain in his heart when he thought of Obito and the team they had once been a part of. It was accompanied by other wounds in his heart – one for every shinobi he had been close to and lost. _The life of a shinobi is a lonely one_ , his father had once told him, words that had been repeated by the Fourth and Third.

Kakashi let the protector fall in front of the two picture frames he had in room on the shelf directly over his bed. One held Obito, Rin, and himself, _so young_ , he thought to himself. _And too old to be sulking._ Behind them, grinning, was his sensei – the Fourth Hokage. His image was echoed in the picture beside it. Naruto, with his bright yellow hair that seemed to sprout in every direction, was exactly like his father – brave, caring, unfazed by the opponents that he had faced, and determined. Kakashi smiled behind his mask as he looked at the picture. Sakura and Naruto had both impressed him. Sakura no doubt would surpass her former master – the Fifth – within a few more years. Naruto had long ago surpassed the Fourth. _So young_ , Kakashi thought again, staring at the picture. His gaze slid to the figure on the left. _Sasuke. What has become of you?_ Kakashi shook his head slowly, regretting what had become of the boy. Somewhere, deep inside his heart, he had hoped the boy had simply been corrupted by Orochimaru and could be turned back to the bright young kid he had once been. Only when Kakashi had seen with his own eyes the near adult male almost run Sakura through with her own kunai did Kakashi realize how far down the path of darkness Sasuke had not only been down, but was willingly running farther in. 

Kakashi put his hand on the frame, about to put the picture down. Then he caught Sakura’s face and smiled again. He lifted his hand from the frame and rubbed the back of his neck, still slightly sore from the day. Kakashi slid under the sheet on his bed, resting his head on the pillow, staring straight up with both eyes for a breath or two. He reached up and drew the mask down from his face, letting it settle around his neck. Then he closed his eyes, turned to his side, and fell away.

He dreamed he was back in that dead forest, fighting off the Akatsuki member Kakuzu. Shikamaru had already been able to take his partner Hidan away from the area…now he was waiting for Shikamaru’s brilliance to once again end the battle. If Kakashi could have picked another young shinobi in the place of Sasuke, Shikamaru would have been his choice. Asuma’s praise for the boy could not have been higher, and after only a few times seeing the young man fight, Kakashi knew that praise was not even close to explaining Shikamaru’s gift of strategies.

Kakuzu – the man he had already killed once. He was strong, Kakashi gave him that, but then, one would have to be to contain those strange masks that held the hearts he had pulled out of other shinobi. _How many of them were from Konoha?_ Kakashi had wondered briefly before dodging an attack from the wind-gifted creature.

In reality, Shikamaru had managed to trick Hidan in performing the ritual that had taken Asuma’s life on his own partner. Just in time, too. Kakashi had been pinned underneath Kakuzu, his arms and legs bound by the strange flesh-wires that seemed to run throughout the Akatsuki member’s body. The same kind of wires had already penetrated Kakashi’s chest, digging past the muscle and almost hitting his ribs before Kakuzu’s heart had been stabbed through by Hidan’s technique. That was his second heart to be destroyed, and Kakashi was able to yank the things out of his chest without any damage. 

But in dreams, the mind explores other avenues; other outcomes.

Kakashi dreamed Kakuzu had thrown him to the ground, binding him with a blink of an eye. The flesh-wires sank into Kakashi’s chest, slamming through the muscles in his chest, slipping past his ribs and lung, reaching for his heart. With a gasp, Kakashi felt the wires wrap around his heart. Kakuzu gave a grunt of pleasure, knowing the heart had been seized. “What will you do now, Kakashi? The kids will be next of course. I could always do with a few extra hearts. Though, they seem much too weak to be any good.” Kakashi struggled again, only to have the wires around his heart squeeze. With another gasp, Kakashi lay still, in pain more than he could have imagined, panting. “But your heart,” continued Kakuzu, “your heart is strong. Been a while since I’ve taken a lightening gifted heart.” Kakashi cried out in pain as the wires began to tug his heart out of place.

“Kakashi,” cried Ino behind him and to the right.

_I’m sorry_ , Kakashi thought before the pain was too much to even think anymore. He cried out again, his heart pounding furiously before he felt the arteries rip apart. Kakashi screamed in pain.

Kakashi shouted, jerking straight up in the bed as he woke. Breathing heavily, he realized one of his hands was covering his chest over his heart, while the other clutched the kunai under his pillow. He let right hand fall to his side, but kept a grasp on the kunai with his left. Sweating and fully awake, Kakashi forced his breathing to slow as he looked slowly around the room, checking the shadows for one that did not belong, senses on high alert for anything out of the ordinary, any sign of danger. Seeing none, Kakashi let go of the kunai and sighed deeply. He looked out the window. _Still a few hours til dawn_ , he thought and sighed once more, knowing he would not sleep again that night.

Kakashi pulled the mask back around his face and slid his legs over the side of the bed. Taking his protector from the shelf and two sheaths – one held ten throwing stars and the other four kunai – Kakashi stood in the room. Slipping on his jacket and placing the sheaths on their usual places on either leg, Kakashi tied the protector into place, but kept it on his forehead, in case he needed to use his left eye. In a flash he was perched on his windowsill and in the next instant was on the roof. Settling down into a crouch, Kakashi watched over the silent city, as he had done countless nights before.

>>>

“Bad dream?” Kakashi nodded without turning around from his seated position he had gotten into an hour ago before. Kurenai walked up the roof until she was standing beside him. “I almost want to swear off sleeping,” she said only half-joking as she looked up at the half moon that was starting its way toward the horizon line. Kakashi kept quiet. “Do you want me to leave?”

“No,” Kakashi said, turning to look into her eyes in a way of apologizing for his silence. She sat beside him.

“Want to talk about it? I find sometimes it helps.”

Kakashi hesitated but answered, looking in front of him. “It was the Akatsuki.” He could feel her move away slightly at the name, but quickly returned to her position, if not leaning even closer to him.

“Sasuke?”

Kakashi shook his head. “The ones who killed Asuma.”

Kurenai sighed deeply. “I see.” Unconsciously she put a hand over her womb.

Kakashi rubbed his chest over his heart. “If it hadn’t been for Shikamaru…” The two were silent for a space of several breaths.

Then Kurenai spoke again. “Kakashi… perhaps this is not my place but…” Kakashi turned to look at her, eye gleaming in the moonlight. Kurenai continued, “Why do I never see you with anyone?” Kakashi’s open eye went wide. Kurenai swallowed, but pushed through. “You’re always alone on your free-time. Always reading. What is it that you read?”

“Ahhh,” Kakashi managed, blushing deeply.

Kurenai blushed as well, not meaning to embarrass her fellow shinobi. “Like I said, perhaps I’m out of place.” She began to stand up.

Kakashi caught her wrist in a flash. “No,” he said quickly. “Stay… if you want.” He released her. Kurenai smiled and sat down again. “I’m alone because…”

Kakashi had never really put it down in words for himself, much less for anyone else. He was too used to being alone, not used to having to deal with questions as personal as this one. When others spoke to him it was about missions or other superficial topics. No one ever got close to him, finding him too intimidating or simply too kept to himself. Ever since Rin died, he had never really felt need for such intimate talk with others. There was that brief time with Hanare, but when he let her go on that cliff-side, he felt as if his heart would never be able to thaw again. But, deep down, hidden in a small, dark place within him, Kakashi knew he could not survive without someone. With his students already moving on, surpassing his skills and those of his generation, a part of him knew he would need someone to talk to – someone to spend the many sleepless nights with. With Naruto and Sakura able to not only take care of themselves but also able to take on their opponents alone, he felt as if he had no defined purpose any longer. _**Protect the village.**_ But whose face would motivate him to keep moving?

“I’ve done a lot,” Kakashi started, turning to look at Kurenai as he continued. “I’ve… killed many for the sake of this village. I’ve put my trust in the shinobi placed around me. But once a mission is done… it’s just as if… I want to forget it ever happened.”

Kurenai nodded. “I think we all feel that way,” she said softly, looking into Kakashi’s eyes. “You should find someone to talk to. I know you and Guy are close… but perhaps you should look for someone… who acts their own age?” Kakashi grinned under the mask and Kurenai noted his eye lit up as he did. She herself grinned as well before standing.

“Thanks,” Kakashi said, this time able to let her go.

“It’s not a problem, Kakashi. If we must spend nights sleepless, at least we can help each other with all the extra time.” Kakashi nodded, but his thoughts were already far away. Kurenai sighed softly as she continued her walk on top of rooftops, wishing she could be the one sleeping soundly.

>>>

Kakashi watched the sun rise over the village. Standing now, he breathed in deeply, letting the warm air soak his body as the light from the sun began to glow over the village. It was a rebuilt village, one that was both alike and unlike the one he had been born into. The entrance was different, and the layout of many buildings had been changed, but it was Konoha nonetheless.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi Wounded

Kakashi felt him. He knew someone was out there, lurking in the moonlight. By all rights he should be sleeping peacefully, but this feeling disturbed him, pulling him out of the dozing state he had been in. Now fully awake, the overwhelming feeling of danger surged through Kakashi and he let that feeling lead him toward the outskirts of the village. _There_ , he thought, both eyes open as the half-moon gleamed above the leaf village shinobi. Keeping to the shadows, he stopped behind the great shadow of one of the abandoned weapons stations that hadn’t been taken down after the war. Then his clone walked out, keeping the same pace Kakashi had been walking.

The shinobi had his back to Kakashi and his clone, but he heard him well enough. “So. Kakashi Hatake. I was wondering when you’d come.” 

“Who are you?” Kakashi demanded, watching the shinobi closely under the guise of being bored.

“A friend,” the shinobi said with a grin. His tone suggested otherwise.

“Right,” Kakashi said, hand in his pocket. “Do you always greet your friends with a coated kunai?” he asked, nodding to the blade the other shinobi held in his deep sleeve.

“Ah yes, the great perceptive Kakashi,” the shinobi said, a large smile creeping across his face. Almost without warning the shinobi shot forward, trying to strike Kakashi. Kakashi avoided it easily and they began to fight.

Kakashi watched his clone fight the shinobi. There was something just a little wrong with him. Kakashi squinted, following the shinobi as his clone fought him. After another minute he saw it.

_A clone!_ Kakashi realized. _He’s skilled enough to have a clone so alike it took me this long to see it. Who is he?!_

“Always slinking in the shadows.”

Kakashi whipped around, but was too late. The shinobi leapt down from the roof and slashed at Kakashi’s back, tearing open the jacket and the flesh beneath it. Kakashi was thrown forward, the gash bleeding quickly. Kakashi’s clone disappeared just as the other shinobi’s clone vanished.

“I could just leave you now,” the male said as Kakashi stood straight again, hand clasping a kunai. “The poison on this blade is strong enough to kill any shinobi.” The stranger looked at the long blade, Kakashi’s blood smeared on it. Then, to Kakashi’s surprise, the shinobi tossed it aside. “But killing you with poison is just no fun. The poison might help me, but I want to have the killing blow.”

The wound stung and Kakashi struggled to keep from wincing. He glared at the male before throwing his kunai at him. It was easily dodged but hitting his enemy with that kunai was not Kakashi’s concern. With his attention on the kunai, Kakashi had a small fraction of time to sneak into range of the male and slash at his neck with another kunai. Now both were wounded. “That was a dirty trick,” the male said to Kakashi, bleeding from the throat wound.

_Damn it_ , Kakashi thought, _he was still able to dodge me enough to miss my blow to his major artery._

“Still, you’ll have to work harder than that to land a blow worthy of killing me.” The enemy shinobi cocked his head at Kakashi. “Unless, of course, you bleed out or the poison kills you.”

Kakashi ground his teeth, wishing he had at least alerted the guards once he knew the feeling of danger had been called for. Now he would fight alone, in an abandoned part of the city.

“No one to hear us,” the other shinobi said, finishing Kakashi’s thought. “No reinforcements either, I gather from the way you are looking toward that tower. Just the way I wanted it. I am, after all , only here for you Kakashi.” Kakashi glared at the male before settling himself for his next attack.

>>>

Kakashi panted, bleeding heavily, one arm wrapped around his stomach to staunch the bleeding of one of his major wounds. The body sank to the dirt; the ground where Kakashi stood turned red. Spent and severely wounded, Kakashi turned around, heading deeper into the village, blood seeping down his legs to leave bloody footprints. Kakashi walked for what seemed like years, heading toward the center of the village, hoping to reach Tsunade.

Soon, too soon, his vision faded, turning the village into shadows even though the moonlight glowed brightly. Each shuffling step brought more pain until Kakashi had no strength left. He collapsed, falling hard against a building.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi's body is found. Will he make it?

It was Naruto who found Kakashi’s body. He had been walking to the ramen shop for breakfast when he glimpsed Kakashi’s silver hair as the sun caught it. “Kakashi?” Naruto moved closer when there was no reply. He had no idea why Kakashi would sit slumped like that, in the shadows no less. _Surely he’s not reading in there._ “Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto put a hand on his master’s shoulder in the shadow and it pulled away red. The shinobi looked at his hand, eyes wide before reaching out. “KAKASHI!”

>>>

Tsunade took a sip of the tea on her desk, trying to ignore the stacks of paper all around the room. Another day filled with paper-work. _Sheesh, if I had known about this maybe I wouldn’t have taken the job._

“Grandma Hokage!”

Tsunade jerked, the tea almost slipping down her shirt. Only one person dared call her that, and she knew that voice from anywhere. “NARUTO!” Tsunade only made it about two steps past her desk before Naruto broke open the door.

“Grandma Hokage, you’ve got to help!” Tsunade immediately saw both Naruto’s clothes and skin were slicked red from blood. “Kakashi-sensei is in bad shape!”

>>>

When Tsunade got to the hospital, there was already a team of medical personal around the body. “He’s still alive?” one asked in disbelief.

“Barely,” answered his older fellow worker.

“Where is Tsunade?!”

“I’m here,” Tsunade said, forcing her way through the mass of people to look at Kakashi herself. Her eyes went wide, and she understood how the younger medic could sound so incredulous.

Blood was splattered against the side of his face and shone in dark contrast on his silver hair. Someone had already placed an oxygen mask over the shinobi’s face, and the man was stripped bare from his waist up. Open wounds were everywhere on the shinobi’s chest, stretching up into his arms and shoulders. _It’s a miracle he’s still breathing_ , Tsunade thought before hearing the sound of ripping. She turned to see another medic tearing through Kakashi’s pants, revealing more wounds to his legs. Tsunade shifted the unconscious shinobi to look at his back and almost had to step away from him. His back had a long, deep cut starting at his left shoulder and ending only centimeters from his spine. It wept a sickly yellow substance and smelled like rotting flesh. Tsunade looked up, meeting Naruto’s eyes from the other side of the room. Her eyes told him enough.

Naruto’s face stiffened, and he balled his hands into hard fists at his sides. _**NO!**_ Tsunade could almost hear him through the mass of people talking around her and the glass that separated her from the younger shinobi.

“Someone get him out of here!” One of the medics looked up and saw Naruto. Tsunade looked away before she saw the tears glistening in the younger shinobi’s eyes. The medic rushed out of the room to lead Naruto away. _No time to waste_ , Tsunade thought, taking off her robe to leave her arms free. _If Kakashi’s going to make it, I’ve got to be on top of everything._ She looked again at his face, noticing the small movements his chest made as he barely breathed. Stay with me Kakashi. Within seconds, Sakura rushed into the room. Tsunade opened her mouth to try to stop the female, only to see the fierce determination in Sakura’s eyes as she took off her jacket to reveal bare skin. She shot her teacher a glance before washing up. _I’m going to need her_ , Tsunade thought before nodding to the younger medic. Sakura dried her hands before stepping beside Tsunade. “What must I do?”

Within a few hours, everyone in the city knew about Kakashi. A sense of tension filled the village.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi wakes up, but he's not out of the woods by a long shot.

Kakashi woke to the pain. With a soft cry, he opened his right eye. Even in pain, he took in his position in an instant. He was lying on his right side, propped there by pillows. There was an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. He wore only shorts that reached to his mid-thighs. Bandages seemed to be his new skin, everywhere he dared to feel seemed to have some of the bandage on it. Machines around him were attached to or under his skin. There was a thick blanket over him, as well as the bed sheet, but he was still cold. There was no window on the wall he was facing… _which means..._ Kakashi could not remember what the detail meant, and struggled to understand why. _Poison._ The word floated through the haze in his mind just as the pain intensified. Kakashi’s face twisted in pain and he cried out again. It was unbelievable how much pain he was still in. The door behind him slid open and Kakashi struggled to keep his body from tensing up, long years in the battlefield teaching him to tense from any noise from behind. He only half succeeded.

“Kakashi!” Sakura rushed to his side, crouching there to look at him. He was breathing heavily now from the pain. She looked into his open eye and saw the pain so deeply, she almost broke contact. He was sweating and panting, his head moving with each breath. “It’s going to be okay, Kakashi,” she said softly, placing a hand on his forehead, forcing herself to keep looking into his open eye. Letting the chakra flow from her hand into him, she watched with some satisfaction as Kakashi’s eyelid drooped before falling completely. The tension that had been in his body immediately disappeared and Kakashi was once more one of the living dead.

She let her breath out all at once. His fever, though lower than the last time she had been with the shinobi, still had not broken. Sakura rubbed her eyes, one after the other. This had been the fourth time in the past two hours he had been checked on; twice by herself, and twice by Tsunade. Giving a glance to the machines she nodded to herself. Kakashi’s breathing was steady enough now, she felt confident in turning off the oxygen and removing the mask. She looked at the unconscious shinobi and her heart ached.

“Stay with me Kakashi. You’ve fought off worse and survived. Don’t let me down now.” Sakura stood up and sighed. She checked the wound on Kakashi’s back. Both it and the deeper wounds to his shoulders had broken open, leaving the white bandages red. Sakura changed the dressing for the three wounds after cleaning them again. At least it’s clean blood, she thought, rewrapping the bandage to Kakashi’s back. It had taken almost an hour of searching for Tsunade, Shizune, and herself to find the poison’s identity and antidote. Mostly luck and some skill was involved when it came to the antidote and all its components.

Sakura finished bandaging the wound before turning to the bowl she had made the antidote in. She had come in to give him another dose; she had no idea how much pain he was still in, though she scolded herself for not thinking of it. Should have crushed some painkillers in it, she thought as she took the bowl into her hand. It was too late now, but when she returned to check on him again she would be sure to have some for Kakashi. Hopefully he would still be unconscious.

Sakura gently lifted Kakashi's head and neck up, supporting him with one arm and hand as she sat down on the edge of the bed. With her other hand she slipped the bowl’s edge against Kakashi’s lips, gently forcing them apart, shifting his mouth open. Slowly, she poured the liquid down his throat, controlling it so that it would be a small but steady stream. Kakashi swallowed instinctively, still comatose. After a full minute, the bowl was empty. Gently, Sakura placed Kakashi’s head back against the pillow. _I should turn him too while I’m here. It’s been long enough._

Carefully, Sakura shifted Kakashi’s body, propping his shoulders and hips with four of the pillows that had been keeping his body from moving. Now he was lying facing the ceiling, his back slightly in the air to keep off the wound. The man had not made a sound through any of it, something Sakura couldn’t decide if she was thankful for or should be worried about. With a sigh, she took the bowl and walked out of the room, firmly closing the door behind her. _Intensive Care Unit 4_ the sign above it read. Sakura nodded to the ANBU member standing to the side of the door and forced herself not to search the shadows for the other two members who had hidden themselves above the room and somewhere a little distance away.

Around two the other ICUs were similar formations of ANBU members, guarding both empty rooms and Kakashi at the same time. Tsunade and Shizune each had each gone to one of the rooms, with a replica of the same bowl and mixture with them.

They were taking no chances; changing the order of rooms they went to and who went to which room. While many had seen the body where Kakashi’s bloody footprints led them, no one had ever seen the stranger and with no markings to give away his village of origin, there was nothing anyone could do but wait for another attack. Tsunade wasn’t entirely sure the attacker was after Kakashi himself, nor was she – or anyone else – about to believe the attacker had been alone. Sakura walked as casually as she could through the well-lit hallway, the lights hung on the ceiling glowing, a frown on her face as she thought. _Just try it,_ she silently dared. _Just try to kill Kakashi while I’m here. I could do with pounding in a few heads right about now._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi gets an unwelcome guest.

Kakashi woke, immediately knowing something was wrong. The sixth sense every mature shinobi had made Kakashi wake long before he should have.

Immediately, Kakashi took notice of his body and surroundings once more. He was lying on the same side he had been before, but this time his shoulder didn’t ache as it had before. The blanket was missing and he was no longer sweating. Fully awake and clear-headed – he had finally broke the fever – Kakashi took a long breath, noticing the oxygen mask was gone and there was only an IV hooked into his arm. The pain, though still very much present, had lost its intensity enough that Kakashi was able to deal with it. He was very weak, unsure if he could even stand. His body felt like a limp noodle. He wondered why he was awake.

Again, Kakashi had the sense that something was wrong. He tensed before forcing himself to relax. There was a thud from the other side of the door, followed by the sound of a cry turning to a gurgling noise. Kakashi knew the sound well. He slipped the IV out from under his skin, sliding it under the edge of the pillow close to the arm to make it appear as if it was still connected. He searched for any weapon before him, opening both eyes to see any glimmer of something he could use for any kind of weapon. There was none. _Unless…_ Kakashi reached down and circled his fingers around the string from the drawstring shorts. He started to pull it through, hoping it would be long enough to strangle whoever came through the door. In the next second the door slid open. _Not yet!_ Kakashi thought, feigning unconsciousness as he continued to pull out the string.

“Kakashi!” a female voice cried out before he heard her body fall to the ground. The sound of steel sliding against wood sounded. Kakashi watched as the kunai slid across the floor, sliding under the bed, resting only inches past the bed he lay in. A footstep, moving closer to him, through the doorway.

Adrenaline flooded his body at the sound. In a flash Kakashi sprung out of the bed, reached down, and clutched the kunai in one hand. He stood facing the male just in front of the doorway, fist with the kunai a few inches away from his face, his other hand stretched out to ward off any fists or feet, on the balls of his feet in case he needed to move. He had both eyes open, his Sharingan marking every movement from the male before him.

“Hatake Kakashi,” the male said taking another step into the room. Kakashi could see part of a leg outside the doorway and a splash of blood nearby it. Farther in the back, he saw an ANBU member face down, a pool of blood under him. “Impressive. Not only are you alive, you are standing before me. But as we both know, that won’t be for long.”

Kakashi held himself still, forcing his minimal shaking to stop. _I don’t have enough chakra for Chidori_ , Kakashi thought. His mind went through several other techniques, only to have each one discarded. _I don’t have the chakra for anything but the smallest moves._ A breath. His eyes slid past the male to look at the blood splattered hall. _I could run._ It would be simple enough, only for the fact that he would probably endanger even more lives.

Kakashi took a breath, looking at the male’s face. He could never just run, never endanger others just to save himself. _If I die here, so shall you._ The male took another step closer, his katana dripping blood. He shifted ever so subtly and Kakashi immediately knew he was about to attack. He gripped the kunai harder.

Suddenly there was the sound of steel whirling through the air, quickly followed by meaty smacks. Kakashi’s eyes went wide as he saw his attacker take a shuddering breath, blood falling from his mouth. His body went limp, falling to the ground to reveal four kunai and a throwing star sticking from his spine. Kakashi looked up to see the female ANBU member just outside the doorway, barely sitting as blood continued to fall from her wounds. She panted, Kakashi could hear and see it past the mask she wore. She shifted her head to look up at him. The gratitude and relief Kakashi could not verbally express was immediately read by the female through his eyes and body language. He was visibly shaking now, exhaustion obvious. She nodded once before slumping against the doorway. Kakashi took a breath before his eyes rolled back. He fell, landing hard onto the ground, the kunai spinning away from his lifeless fingers; unconscious before even hitting the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsunade and Sakura rush to Kakashi's room when the traps around the ICU doors are triggered.

Tsunade could not sleep. Determined to find the origin of the shinobi that had nearly taken Kakashi’s life, she had several books open before her and a notebook beside them on her desk in one of her many chambers, this one located only a level above the ICU section. She had checked on Kakashi an hour ago and was now back to her work. An open map was on the side of the desk, markers for every ingredient. While it was simple enough to find the origins of the contents from the poison used against Kakashi, it had proved useless for the most part. She was not finished but as she looked at the map again, she sighed. While several of the ingredients were only found in one place, they were spread over most of the lands, including the Land of Fire. _Thank goodness I was able to send Naruto on a mission. I can’t imagine what this would be like if he were still here. The pressure from myself is bad enough, I don’t even want to think about what it would be like with him around._ Naruto, Hinata and Kiba with Akamaru had been tasked the day after Kakashi’s midnight battle to a mission to another nation, something that would both take a long time to finish, and take several days to make the trip to and from the land. If Naruto didn’t push the team beyond their capabilities, it would be another two weeks at least before they would be arriving back. _So most likely a week_ , Tsunade thought with both bitterness and pride. Tsunade rubbed her eyes before staring at the words she had written on the notebook. After a few seconds the words blurred and she forced herself to blink, glaring at the useless information as if it would somehow shape itself to make sense.

Suddenly her left hand twitched. Tsunade looked at it, forgetting her frustration. She had sealed some of her chakra into the traps around the three ICU rooms; now one of the false rooms’ trap had been triggered. Wasting no time, Tsunade rushed to the room. She rounded the corner and stopped. The three ANBU members were on the ground, unconscious. The door had been kicked through and the dozen kunai that had once been part of a trap lay on the ground around the ANBU members.

“No,” she breathed before starting toward the wounded ANBU members. Suddenly her right hand twitched. Kakashi’s room’s trap. Momentarily torn between helping the ANBU members before her and those guarding Kakashi, Tsunade froze.

“I’ll help them! Go help Kakashi!” Tsunade spun around to see Sakura racing past her, medpack already opened as she dug through it. “GO!” Sakura shouted to Tsunade before falling to her knees beside the most wounded ANBU male, eyes filled with determination and fear. _She must have put some of her chakra into the traps_ , Tsunade thought before nodding and racing away.

>>>

Tsunade reached the room within minutes. A similar scene from before was in front of her. Two of the ANBU members were several feet from the room while the other was slumped against the open door. “Kakashi!” Tsunade checked each of the ANBU members. They were all still breathing. She dashed into the room and almost stumbled onto the body. The gleaming weapons shone proudly from the place on the stranger’s back. Beyond his body, Kakashi lay on his right side, a kunai several inches away from his half-curled fingers. He lay diagonal to the body, looking as if he had fainted after the stranger had been killed. “Kakashi.” Tsunade knelt beside him and let out a breath of relief as she watched him breathe. “Thank goodness.” She pushed her fingers against his jugular and felt the reassuring, steady pulse.

“Is he alright?” Tsunade turned. Sakura, hands bloodied, stood in the doorway, concern on her face.  
“He’s fine.”  
Sakura relaxed, letting her breath out all at once. “Shizune came to finish with the other ANBU members, so I came here to see what I could do.”  
Tsunade nodded before standing. “Kakashi is okay. We need to worry about the three out there.”  
Sakura looked down at the body at her feet. “Another attacker,” she mused before kicking the body.

“No tell-tale markings on him either, I’d bet,” Tsunade said bitterly. Sakura bent to remove the body. “Leave him there,” Tsunade said. Her former student looked up at her. “We need to look after our own before the unknown dead.” Sakura nodded and shifted her attention to the female against the doorframe.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi wakes up again, in better shape.

Kakashi woke, moaning softly. He rubbed his right eye, sweeping his fingers over it before opening it. Weak sunlight filtered through the window to his right and a sheet was draped over his lower face. Behind the sheet he felt the surgical mask tied there. Tired, but in much less pain than before, Kakashi struggled to connect his memories. Fear filled him once he remembered the bodies outside his room in the ICU. The door to his left opened. 

“You’re awake.” He turned his head to see Sakura walk toward him.

“The others,” he managed through a dry throat.

Sakura lifted a hand to stop him as she stood beside him. “Everyone’s alive. A few of them were in critical condition for a while, but everyone will make it out alive.”

The relief in Kakashi’s open eye almost made Sakura go weak in the knees. _He looks so helpless_ , she thought to herself, seeing her former sensei lying weak against the bed. He shifted, trying to sit up. In an instant, Sakura had her hands on his shoulders, her face inches away from his. “Don’t move,” she said softly, breath brushing against Kakashi’s lips through the thin sheet and surgical mask. “You’re still very weak.” He settled back against the bed and Sakura gave a quick nod before releasing him. 

“The poison almost killed you. You need to rest.”

Kakashi sighed, open eye shifted to look at the ceiling. “Who were they?”

“We don’t know.” Both turned to see Tsunade walking into the room, a glass of water in her hands. “Sakura can you prop him to sit up?”

“I can manage,” Kakashi said. He tried to lift himself up, only to fall back, eyes squeezed shut against the wave of pain that sliced through his body and head. Panting, he opened his right eye again.

Sakura looked concerned while Tsunade regarded him with slight irritation. “Kakashi,” the older medic scolded gently. “If you had been able to sit up, I wouldn’t be asking Sakura to do it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Kakashi said, shoulders slumping.

Sakura gently lifted the male against the wall and propped a pillow behind his back. The sheet fell away from him, revealing the mask and bandaged torso. He leaned heavily against the wall, putting all of his weight against it. Only then did Tsunade hand him the water. Kakashi took it in both hands and drank from it slowly. He could only hold his arms up long enough for a few sips before he had to drop them. When the water was half gone, he settled the glass into his lap, hand wrapped around it to keep it steady.

“Do we know anything about them?” he asked, voice stronger than before. Seeing the two standing together, Kakashi suddenly realized that Sakura was only just shorter than Tsunade. _When did she grow so much?_ he wondered.

"No," Tsunade. "The ingredients for the poison are all over the place and with no markings on the bodies, we have no leads. They're almost like ghosts." Kakashi let out sigh. "You need your rest," the Hokage said gently. "I'll let you know if we learn any more."

"Thank you," Kakashi said, looking at both females. "Thank you for my life."

Sakura blushed lightly but Tsunade stared at him. "Of course," she said, almost offended. "Like I'd let my top shinobi just bleed out." A gleam struck her eyes. "You aren't getting off that easy."

Kakashi gave a weak grin.


End file.
